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Frequently Asked Questions

I tried to comment on a story, but your website requires I sign in for comments using access to another account I use like my Facebook account. Why did you make that change?

We now require users who want to comment to verify their identity through sites such as Facebook to remove anonymous individuals or fictitious names. We believe this will make our comments section more valuable to our readers and help improve the conversation around news.

I’m going on vacation. How can I suspend delivery of my newspaper?

Please call our circulation department at (479) 785-7775.

How can I purchase photos that have appeared in the Times Record, in print or online?

If you are viewing a story that includes a photo that is for sale, a "Buy Photo" button should appear in the upper right-hand corner of the image on the site. Click through and receive instructions on how to purchase an image. To view for-sale photo galleries, click here.

How do I sign up for your e-newsletter and breaking-news alerts?You can customize the SWTR Today newsletter, which is emailed to you every weekday morning, or the SWTR NewsBreak newsletter, which is emailed every weekday afternoon. You can choose what types of stories you see in the e-newsletters. Also, you can sign up to receive email alerts for breaking news as it happens. To sign up for SWTR Today, SWTR NewsBreak and/or breaking news alerts, click here.

How do I submit a letter to the editor?

Submit a letter to the editor by filling out this online form. Letters also can be emailed to letters@swtimes.com, faxed to (479) 784-0413, or mailed to 3600 Wheeler Ave., Fort Smith, AR 72901. Letters should be limited to 300 words. Please include a name and phone number so we can verify the letter's author; we do not publish anonymous letters.

How do I submit an engagement/wedding/anniversary announcement?

The Times Record publishes announcements for engagements and weddings every Sunday in our print publication and online. To submit an engagement or wedding announcement, click here.

Announcements for anniversaries are published Sundays in print and online at swtimes.com. Online forms for anniversary announcements are available here. The deadline for all announcements is 5 p.m. Monday for Sunday publication. Photos for announcements should be recent and vertical; they can be included with the online form. For more questions on announcements, please call (479) 785-7743.

How does one submit an obituary to the Times Record for publication?

The Times Record considers obituaries a public service and publishes them free of charge, both in print and at swtimes.com. Obituaries are accepted only from funeral homes. If the family of the deceased wishes to include more information than permitted by the guidelines of the Times Record, they may purchase a death notice. Death notices also are accepted only from funeral homes. For more information about obituary guidelines, call (479) 785-7798.

Does the Times Record offer tours?

Yes. Tours are about 90 minutes long and are available during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To schedule a tour, call (479) 785-7726.

Why can't I find a specific news story online?

We do not guarantee that all stories that are in the newspaper will appear at swtimes.com.

Currently, the only way to assure that you can catch all the news articles in our newspaper from a given day is to purchase that day's newspaper or subscribe to our home delivery. Call our circulation department for information on purchasing a newspaper at 479-785-7777 or 888-274-3992.

When searching the Times Record online archives, please note that our online archives only go back as far as mid 1999. If you are searching for a specific story older than that date, please contact the Fort Smith Public Library.

The Times Record circulation department only houses print archives up to one year back. If you are searching for a print copy older than one year, please contact the Fort Smith Public Library.

How do I find a story that was published in an earlier edition of your paper?

Times Record news articles online go back as far as mid-1999. To search for past articles, click the "Search" link on the top navigation bar.

When searching the Times Record online archives, please note that our online archives only go back as far as mid-1999. If you are searching for a specific story older than that date, please contact the Fort Smith Public Library.

The Times Record circulation department only houses print archives up to one year out. If you are searching for a print copy older than one year, please contact the Fort Smith Public Library.

I posted a new event to your calendar. Why hasn't it shown up yet?

The calendar section of the website goes through a submission moderation period. Pending submissions are approved during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. If your event submission was made after business hours or over the weekend, it would not appear until the next business day once all pending calendar submissions have been monitored. We do not guarantee approval of your calendar entries.

Where do I send my press releases?

You may submit a press release through our Submit news link. The Times Record does not guarantee publication of your press release. Please be sure to include the required contact information so we can reach you if we have any questions.

Where can I learn about the history of the Times Record?

We have a proud history of serving readers and covering local news in Fort Smith, western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma since 1884. We published a series of special 125th-anniversary sections in January 2010. A summary of our history can be found on our About Us page, or we invite you to scroll through the timeline on our Facebook page, where we have included highlights and images from our history.

I cannot find an answer to my question here. Who do I contact?

BEFORE YOU SEND YOUR QUESTION, HELP US TO HELP YOU.

If you are writing to us because you are experiencing technical difficulties, please be as detailed as you can with the problem you are experiencing. Telling us "your site doesn't work" does not provide us with enough information to trouble-shoot. Please tell us what you were trying to accomplish when you experienced the technical difficulties and what steps you were taking. In addition, please tell us what web browser and version you are using (ie: Internet Explorer 7) and what platform you are using (ie: Windows or Mac OS). This information is key to assisting us with your issue and can also, in the long run, aide in creating a better experience not only for you, but for all our visitors. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.